In just the fourth all-time meeting between the Bulldogs and the Blue Hose, Butler led every second of the game and picked up a 27-10 win on the road. With this win, Butler has now advanced to its best record since 2022 and stays in share of first place in the Pioneer Football League (PFL) with a 4-1 conference record, 7-2 overall.
Presbyterian won the coin toss but it was all Butler after that.
In the first quarter, the Dawgs took control early, as their first drive was 11 plays and capped off with a 4-yard rush by graduate senior running back Desmin Jackson. After forcing a three and out by Presbyterian, the Bulldogs capitalized on a 21-yard pass from junior quarterback Gabe Passini to sophomore tight end Drew Sullivan.
The next 16 minutes did not see any scoring, but with just over two minutes to play left in the second quarter, the Blue Hose finally got on the board. Presbyterian capitalized on three Butler penalties for a 28-yard field goal by first-year kicker Kade Bailey.
On the next possession, the Bulldogs ended the first half by running the ball on the ground six times and setting up a 45-yard field goal try. First-year kicker Evan Windley had no problem drilling his career long from distance to put Butler up 17-3 at the half.
Passini had a huge game on the ground amounting to 168 yards and a touchdown which came in Butler’s first possession of the second half. After stopping the Blue Hose on seven total plays, Passini led the offense down the field and tacked in a 19-yard rushing touchdown to consistently add onto the Bulldogs lead.
Finally after two and a half quarters, the home crowd had something to cheer for, as Presbyterian finally put some points up on the board. The largest play by either team today was a 66-yard fake-punt touchdown catch by first-year wide receiver Eric Nelson. Sophomore punter Noah Perrin faked the kick and bulleted a dart to Nelson for a wide open touchdown catch to inch the Blue Hose closer.
After a missed field goal on the next possession by Butler, the fourth quarter started with a score of 21-10 and Presbyterian had the ball.
Instead of delivering on a prime opportunity to make a comeback, the Blue Hose were stymied and punted after three plays. Butler then shined on offense as a five minute drive was led by running backs: Jackson and sophomore Michael Dellumo. The duo created a chip shot 22-yard field goal for junior kicker Beck Janki. This extended the Bulldogs lead to 17 as time winded down.
On the final drive of the game, Presbyterian had the same success they did all game and only amounted to 14 total yards. A fourth down stop for Butler concluded another win for the Bulldogs.
Butler hopes to add another defining win into its season next week as they come home to play fellow PFL co-leader, 7-2 St. Thomas Tommies on Nov. 7 at 1 p.m.